Simon Dyson wins title in a playoff

Britain's Simon Dyson claimed his second Dutch Open title in four years when he defeated Irishman Peter Lawrie and Sweden's Peter Hedblom in a sudden-death playoff on Sunday.

Dyson came from six strokes behind the overnight lead to card a seven-under-63 for a 15-under 265 four-round total and then birdied the first playoff hole to claim victory.

While Lawrie (67) led by a stroke with just three holes to go and Hedblom (69) took a two stroke advantage into the final round, Dyson's course-record-equalling finale earned the 31-year-old Englishman the $430,000 first prize.

An 18ft birdie putt when the playoff trio again played the 18th separated Dyson from his two opponents, who both missed the green and had to chip on.

It was Dyson's third European Tour title and the second time he had clinched the Dutch Open by way of a playoff. In 2006 Dyson defeated Australian left-hander Richard Green.

A flawless closing round in which he collected seven birdies enabled Dyson to move up the leaderboard. His eventual victory hinged on a 35ft birdie putt as late as the 17th hole but his thoughts of what seemed an unlikely success came much earlier.

"I was thinking I had a chance to do it again when I birdied the seventh and the ninth," Dyson told reporters. "I'd done the same in 2006.

"After that I just told myself not to give any shots away and keep the pressure on the leaders.

"This course just seems to suit my eye. You hear that it's horses for courses and this is one of my favourites."

Stumbles by Hedblom early on saw the Swede's lead disintegrate but he battled back to earn a second chance with two birdies in the last four holes, both at par threes.

Lawrie's accuracy off the tee looked as though it had earned the 2003 European Tour rookie of the year a second title but that deserted him over the closing holes. A bogey on the 16th resulted in the Irishman being caught.

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